As mentioned previously, documents largely remain in a single format throughout their creation period with the exception of PDF files which are often created at the end of the process for dissemination purposes. In such cases it is recommended that both the original working document as well as the PDF file are retained. In addition, it is also recommended that embedded content such as images are stored separately to the text document in order that these files can follow a separate relevant preservation path.

Other more general considerations include ensuring that the file that is retained and preserved is the final version of the document. This may simply involve keeping careful track of working drafts but can also include ensuring that functions of certain word processing applications e.g. ‘track changes’ are turned off and that comments and notes are removed from the final version.